Burner



`Patented May 22, 1934 OFFICE BURNER John B. Burdett, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Burdett Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 20. 1931, Serial No'. 517,212

22 Claims. (Cl. 158-99)4 My invention relates to burners and more particularly to a new improved method of and apparatus for burning gas.

Many attempts have been made to design a burner which insures complete combustion of the fuel. One of the chief difilcultie's heretofore encountered in the burning of gas, as a fuel, resided in obtaining an adequate supply of air to mix thoroughly with the gas and in providing a sufficient time element for the burning action to insure complete combustion in order to liberate a maximum number of heat units. Where' an attempt has been made to provide an adequate supply of air, no means has been provided which effectively prevented the gas from escaping from the flame as it is burned, nor has the flame been kept sufiiciently hot to assure proper -diffusion of the gas with the oxygen in the air. Burners commercially available at the present time do not provide for controlling the shape of the flame so that the gas will not escape or separate from the flame before consumedfand so that the time element will be suicient to insure complete combustion. As a result, such heavier gases as butane, propane and like hydrocarbons are not burned with success, although commercially available at the present day in large quantities. Butane is especially high in B. t. u. content and may be marketed at exceptionally low cost because it may be held in a liquid state at a relatively low pressure. When so held in a liquid state, large quantities of the gas may be conveniently shipped in containers at low cost.

Because butane is a heavy and slow burning gas, it is essential that the flameA be controlled. If the flame can be made to persist in its burning action, sufficient time may be had to insure adequate diffusion of butane gas with the air. On the other hand,.if the shape ofthe ame may the temperature of the gas relatively high and uniform, thereby assisting in bringing `the gas and air in proper union and preventing the escape of gas from the flame before it is burned. By controlling the llame, it is also possible to bring a secondary charge of air into Contact with the flame practically at the end of the burning period Aso that any remaining unburned gas may unite with the secondary air and be completely burned.

An object of my invention is to provide, therefore, a new and improved form of burner apparatus capable of effecting complete combustion of the hydrocarbon gases and of controlling the flame and initially mixing a primary supply of be controlled, its heat can be utilized to hold 'air so that substantially all the gas will be consumed. The heat of the flame may be utilized to maintain the mixture at a relatively high temperature while it is being burned to insure ready union of oxygen with the CO molecules being formed during combustion to effect formation of CO2 gas with a maximum liberation of heat units,

AVd to hold the mixture in the flame until completely consumed. further object of my invention is to provide,

if so` desired, a secondary supply of air to mix withfthe unburned gasin the flame at or near thefedge of the flame, whereby it is impossible for the unburned gas to escape, with the result that complete combustion is'eifected and a liberation of maximum heat units is obtained.

Astill further -object of my invention is to p rovide a simple and inexpensive construction which will efficiently burn any kind of fuel, but which very effectively burns a slow burning gas requiring a more careful and accurate mixing of the airtherewith, as well as a control of the ame to insure a time elementadequate to consume all the gas and thereby to effect complete combustion. 80

"A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improved system of burning, say butane gas, which may be supplied under pressure in a liquid state, in containers, and which may be readily and efficiently converted into gas by rmeans of simple and inexpensive apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof.

In the drawings:

`,1ilgure 1 illustrates more or less diagrammatically a fuel burning system embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a cut-olf safety adapted to prevent the flow of gas to the burner upon cessationof operation of the air supply means;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the inner portion 100 of a heat exchange employed to effect complete vaporization and to raise the temperature of the gas before it is fed to the burner;v v

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the heat exchange;

Fig. 5 is a verticle sectional view of one of the 105 burner elements, this view indicating the approximate form of flame produced; and y Fig. 6 is a ViewI illustrating a modiled form of burner construction.

Fig l illustrates a complete apparatus for burn- 11n although not limited to any particular kind of A' the under surface 25 of baffle 24 in an annularl stream. The gas will also be fed from passage 20 gas, including burners 1 and 2, the construction and operation of which form an important part ofthe present invention. A tank 3 adaptedto contain a slow burning gas, such as butane, in a liquid state under pressure, is connected by means of a pipe 4 to a heat exchange 5. A pressure of about 32 pounds at '10 F. isusually required to keep butane gas in a liquid state, but for practical purposes, the gas is shipped in these tanks under a relatively higher pressure and' a reducing valve 6 is used to reduce the pressure below 32 pounds before it is supplied to heat exchange 5. v

In order to secure complete gasification or volatilization, and to secure increased temperature of the butane gas prior to combustion, inlet pipe 4 connects at the bottom of the heat exchange 5 to cause an upward flow of butane through coils 8 nnd 9. shown in Fig. 4, from where it is taken by outlet pipe 6 and passed through a second pressure reducer '1. Room temperature, and especially adjacent a furnace, will be suilciently high to furnish the necessary heat to the gas to obtain its rapid diusion with the air supplied at the burners. A motor driven blower 10 may draw the air downwardly through heat exchange and feed it to the burners 1 and 2 by means of a pipe 11. This arrangement allows the air used for supporting combustion to effect complete gasication of the butane gas.

Any number of burners may be used. In the present showing, a union 12 connects to burners l and 2 by pipes 13 and 14, respectively, the latter having elbow connections 15 to receive pipes 16, threadedly connected at their opposite ends to burner jets`17. Each jet'is preferably hollow and is provided at its upper end with a vertically extending -sleeve 18. An internally disposed sleeve 19 is threaded at its lower end to jet 17, in spaced relation to sleeve 18 to provide an annular passage 20 therebetween. This passage communicates with passage 21 in a nipple 22 adapted to receive a pipe 34 .connected by a pipe 34 to the gas supply.

Air may be fed through pipe 11 and'its corresponding connections with pipes 16, andfrom there passed upwardly through each jet 11. A

stem'24 is centrally positioned in each sleeve 19,.

being fixed at 23, and supported near its upper end by a disc 42. The upper end of stem 24 is adapted to be threaded for receiving a baille 24 in adiustable relation. Positioning stem 24' centrally within sleeve 19 provides an annular passage 19 which causes the air to discharge' against against baille 24 in an annular stream concentrically about the inner stream of air. The air will strike the surface 25 at approximately the point A, and, due to the curvature of surface 25, the

` air will be deflected slightly outwardly toward the v iet by Pipe end of the baille annular stream of gas coming from passage 20 and there theair will be diffused with this gas to form a combustible mixture. A passage 26 1'? communicates with the lower part 2'7 and receives a portion of the air fed to the 16. This air is then fed into a chamber 28 formed by amember 29, threadedly carried bythe upper end of jet 1'1, and providing an annular passage 31 between member -29 and sleeve 18 of the `iet. This stream of air is also fed. Qonand downwardly toward a heat .reecting plate 32. At point B -it will meet the centrically with the gas and air fed through lpassages 20 and 19' and is adapted to be brought into intimate contact with this first charge of mixed air and gas. I nd that this intimate contact is effected at approximately the point C on the inner surface 25 of baille 24. Inasmuch as the gas and air are fed under pressure to the burner, they will strike against the curved surface 25 of baille 24 and be deflected outwardly, the lat-l ter or outer concentric streamof air mixing at the point C and being deected slightly downwardly as indicated in Fig. 5. Burner plate 32 is provided with a concave or dished upper surface and is carried adjacent baille 24. The mixture of gas and air is deflecteddownwardly and upon the burner plate so that the shape of the flame designated generally by numeral 33 will be controlled to the extent that the flame will be forced to lie close to the plate and burn radiallyoutward toward the edge, the upper surface of the flame being exposedto permit absorption of free the It is well understood by those versed in the art that in the burning of fuel, complete combustion is obtained when the carbon, or other combustible matter in the fuel, is burned to form CO2 gas. Incomplete combustion follows when carbon is burned to form CO gas. The task of producing CO2 gas to the exclusion of CO, is difficult of obtaining in burners adapted to burn gas, due to the difficulty of securing not only a uniform mixture with air, but of securing an adequate'supply of air to support complete combustion. When an atom of carbon is brought into contact with an atom of oxygen, at a sufficiently high temperature, combustion takes place, forming CO gas, and unless this CO molecule so formed'meets with or is met by another atom of oxygen before its temperature has fallen below the ignition point, it will pass off through the smokestack as CO gas, carrying with it two-thirds of the heating units which it is capable of yielding. The large voluminous flame from the burning of gas in the burners, as heretofore practiced, has been allowed to extend outwardly into a large open space and remain uncontrolled to the extent that no attempt has been made to utilize the heat effects of the ame to maintain a temperature above the ignition point. Failing to control the flame and to secure a sufficient time element for complete combustion of the combustible matters in the mixture, the CO molecules formed would not combine with another atom of oxygen necessary to complete combustion.

This difficulty resulted in not causing the flame to persist in its burning action until this additional atom of oxygen formed with the CO molecule to produce the CO2 gas. This resulted in a liberation of about 1/3 of the heat units the fuel is capable of yielding while the other 2/3 of the heat units pass through the iiue as incompletely burned products of combustion. The air supplied by annular passages 19 and 30 form what I term the primary supply of air and is normally adequate to e'ect complete mixture with the gas flowing through passage 20. But to assure sufficient air for uniting with the gas burned and thereby to secure complete combustion at all times, I may provide a secondary supply of air adapted to mix with the unburned gases remaining in the flame at or about the edge thereof. This is accomplished by a plate 35 carried upon a shoulder 36 of member 29 and having an upstanding ilange 35 @S indicated in Fig. 5. Pins 37 are furnished to support burnerv plate 32 in spaced relation with respect to plate 35. The flange 36 is also spaced from the periphery 38 of the burner plate so that a passage is provided to allow the secondary air supply to flow between these members and upwardly so as to come into contact with the flame, as indicated by the arrows in Flig. 5. This air may be obtained by providing openings 39 of Sufficient size in member 29.

The amount of air furnished by the secondary supply to the flame may be varied. I prefer to employ the air supplied by the motor driven blower so that it will be under pressure and at all times assure the presence of a., sufficient amount of oxygen tounite 4with the unburned gases still remaining in the flame as the flame aping downwardly through openings 41.

preaches fthe edge of the burner plate 32.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a casing 40 disposed about the burner jet and plate with an annular opening 4l through which avnatural draft of air is obtained. The air thusobta'ned may be used as a secondary supply, insuring complete combustion about the edge of the flame. Either form of construction for furnishing a secondary supply of air may be used, but the form shown in Fig. 5 is preferably where the gas burned is a heavy and slow burning gas, so that there is no danger of this gas escaping from the flame unconsumed below the burner plate 32 and pass- A safety cut-out 50` is4 shown in detail in Fig. 2 for controlling the flow of the gas to the burners. Mechanism 50 automatically stops the ow of gas upon failure of the blower 10 to operate. A connection 51 tapped into pipe 11 and connecting at the nipple 52 subjects chamber 53 tothe pressure of the air supplied to the burners. This pressure tends normally to elevate diaphragm 54 and thereby hold valve 55 from its seat 56'to allow the gas to be fed to the burners. Upon failure of the air pressure within chamber 53, which would occur if blower 10 ceased operating, valve 55 seats and prevents further flow of the gas. By this arrangement,`the flow of gas to the burners is automatically controlled, and failure of the air supply will promptly cut off the gas supply.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that by providing burner plate 32 with a concave or dished surface and of heat-reflecting qualities, the flame may be confined along the surface of the plate to prevent the escape of unburned gas. The curvature of surface 25 of baille 24 assures that the mixture of gas vand air is deflected upon burner plate 32. The flame will continue to persist in burning the'gas as it moves outwardly and the heat of the flame reflected from burner plate 32 will maintain the temperature of the unburned combustibles in the mixture above the ignition point so that as CO molecules are formed, they may readily pickup an additional atom of oxygen to form C02 gasand thereby effect complete combustion.

The burner disclosed herein lends itself particularly to consuming a slow burning gas. Being heavier than air, the gas cannot escape from the flame nor can its temperature be lowered to a point below that of ignition. 'I'he unburned gas will be forced into intimate contact with the air fed by the secondary supply and be completely mixed to effect perfect combustion.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist'of my invention, that others may by applying current knowledge, readily adopt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating cer.

tain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items o'f novelty involved, which itcmsare intended to be defined andsecured to me by the following claims.

I claim: 1. In combination', a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, `means for feeding a supply of gas and ar to said surface, and means for effecting a mixture of the gas and air and causing the mixture to spread upon and move radially outward across said surface from a substantially central point into a substantially continuous outwardly burning llame whereby the heat reflected from the surface will maintain the mixed combustible at a relatively high temperature to assure a complete format'on of CO2 gas.

2. In combination, a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, means for feeding gas and air to form a combustible mixture, and means for projecting the combustible mixture while burning downwardly against -and outwardly across said surface whereby the heat reflected` from said surface will maintain the combustible mixture at a relatively high temperature to assure substantially complete formation of CO2 gas.

3. In combination, a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, means for feeding gas and independent charges of air for mixture with the gas at separate points in the flow of the gas to form a combustible mixture, and means for directing the preformed combustible mixture outward over said surface to spread the flame whereby the reflected heat of said surface will maintain the combustible at a relatively high temperature to assure complete formation of CO2 gas.

4. In combination, a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, means for feeding a supply of gas and for feeding a supply of air to mix with the gas to form a combustible, an'd means for controlling thev flame by first directing it downward and against said surface and then in an uninterrupted path outward and over said surface, the unmixed air and gas in the combustible being driven into union. during combustion, by the reflected heat of said surface to form a substantially complete combustible mixture.

5. In combination, a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, meansv for feeding an annular stream of gas and concentric streams of air for mixture with the gas at independent points to form a substantially complete combustible capable of forming CO2 gas when burned, and means for spreading the burningcombustible radially outward and over said surface to provide for maximum burning and liberation of B. t. u., the heat reflected from said surface during the combustion maintaining the temperature of the combustible relatively high to cause union of the remaining unburned gas with air whereby to effect complete combustion lof substantially all the gas.

A 6. In combination, a gas burner including a heat reflecting surface, means for feeding a supply of gas and air thereto to form a combustible mixture, and means for deflecting the gas and air,

as it mixes, against said surface whereby to spread the burning combustible thereover and provide for a maximum burning and liberation of B. t. u., the heat reflected from said surface during combustion maintainingr the temperature of the combustible relatively high to eect a union of remaining unmixed gas with air into a combustible mixture whereby to effect complete combustion of all the gas and the formation of CO2 gas during the burningthereof.

7.. The method of burning a gas which comprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with perature to' promote a union of any u nmixed gas .entrained in the combustible mixture with air and thereby effect a complete combustion of the gas and a practically constant formation of CO2 gas.

8. The method of burning a gas which comprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with concentric streams of air, the gas first mixing with one of the streams of air to produce a combustible mixture and thereafter in contact with the second stream of air to secure substantially' a completely formed combustible, igniting the combustible and confining the flame to a form insuring a maximum burning time, and utilizing the heat of the flame to secure a union of additional air with the gas in the combustible to effect a complete combustion thereof.

9. The method of burning agaswhichcomprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with air to produce a combustible mixture, ignitng the mixture and confining it into -a continuous unflame insuring interrupted outwardly burning maximum burning time, and utilizing the heat of the flame to promote an additional mixture of air with thegas in the combustible to effect complete combustion and a practically constant formation of CO2 gas.

10. The method of burningr a gas which comprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with air to produce a combustible mixture, igniting the mixture and confining the flame. to a form insuring maximum burning time, utilizing the heat effects of the flame to maintain the temperature of the combustible relatively high to assist in uniting additional air with the unburned gases therein for effecting substantial formation of CO2 gas, and bringing the edge of the flame into contact with free air surrounding the llame.

11. The method of burning a gas which comprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with air to produce a combustible mixture, igniting the mixture and confining the flame to a form insuring maximum burning time, utilizing the heat effects of the llame during combustion to maintain the temperature of the combustible ,relatively high in order readily to unite with additional air and thereby assure complete combustion and the formation of CO2 gas, and bringing the flame near the end of the combustion into contact with another supply of air to unite the air with any remaining unburned combustible.

12. The method of burning a gas which cornprises bringing the gas into intimate contact with air to' produce a combustible mixture, igniting the mixture and spreading the flame so that the burning of the mixture'will continue for a relatively greater time to permit additional mixture of air with 'any unburned gas, utilizing the heat of the ame to hold the mixture at a relatively high temperature, and supplying additional air substantially at the end of the flame for union with gas incompletely burned.

13. The method of burning a gas which cornprises bringing-the gas into intimate contact with a supply of air, igniting the mixture and controlling the rate of combustion by spreading the flame radially outward from a central point carried above to give the gas adequate time to combine with air before being burned, utilizing the heat of the ame to maintain the temperature of the gas relatively high and preventing separation of the gas and air while the gas is being burned so that it will readily unite with the air, and bringing additional air into contact with the flame about its edge to unite with unburned gas to secure complete combustion.

14. In combination, a gas burner including a plate having a heat reflecting surface and a substantially central opening therein, concentrically arranged members fitting into said opening and providing concentric passages opening into the space above said heat reflecting surface, a baiile carried above said plate and over said concentric passages, and meansconnecting to said members for supplying air and gas to said passages, said passages discharging the 'air and gas against said baille for effecting a mixture thereof, said baillel defiecting said mixture downwardly upon and along said heat reflecting surface for combustion.

15. In combination, a gas burner including a plate having a heat reflecting surface and a substantially central opening therein, concentrically arranged members fitting into said opening and providing concentric passages opening into the space above said heat reflecting surface, a baille said plate and over said concentric passages, means connecting to said members for supplying air and gas to said passages, said passages discharging the air and gas against said baille for effecting a mixture thereof, said baille denecting said mixture downwardly upon said heat reflecting surface for combustion, and means for supplying air to the outer edge of said plate t'o contact with the flame..

16. In combination, Va burner plate for receivingl a flame adapted to burn radially outward substantially from its center, means for feeding a combustible of mixed air and gas to said burner plate including a jet provided with a plurality of passages arranged substantially in concentric relation with respect to each other, a baille provided with a-defiecting surface supported over said passages kto deect the combustible of mixed air and gas upon said burner plate, said passages being so arranged that the air and gas will strike against said defiecting surface and be forced into intimate contact and thereupon be deflected substantially downward and radially outward, said burner plate and said baffle cooperating to confine the ame upon the surface of said plate and thereby to causait to spread outwardly and persist in its burning action of the combustible until complete combustion is effected.

17. vIn combination, a burner plate for receiving a flame adapted to burn radially outward substantially from its center, means for feeding a combustible of mixed air and gas\ to said burnerplate substantially at the center thereof, means cooperating with said burner plate to cause the flame to spreadv outwardly and persist in its burning action of the combustible, and means for feeding an additional charge of air to the flame at the outer edge of said plate'.

18. The method of developing radiant heat from a heat reflecting surface by heating said l from said surface to maintain the combustible mixture as it burns across said surface at a relatively high temperatur'e. to promote complete combustion thereof.

19. The method of producing radiant heat from a surface heated to incandescence which comprises projecting a combustible mixture downwardly against said surface, igniting the mixture, effecting a scouring action of the ame uninterruptedly across the surface thereby causing the ame to persist while the combustible mixture is burning across the surface until substantially all the combustible mixture is consumed, and utilizing the reflected heat of said surface to maintain the combustible at a relatively high temperature to effect such complete combustion during the scouring action of the flame across the surface.

20. The method of producing radiant heat,

from an incandescent heat reflecting surface by burning a combustible mixture producing CO2 gas to the practical exclusion of CO -gas whichl comprises projecting the combustible mixture against and across the heat reiiecting surface,

controlling the flame by 'such projection to cause it to sweep substantially Vuninterl'upiedly across the surface,'and utilizing the reflected heat as the flame persists to maintain the temperature of the combustible relatively high and to assure thereby substantially complete combustion by the i formation of COzgas, y

21. In combination, a gas burner including a burner plate having a heat reecting. surface, means for supplying a combustible mixture,` and a baille element having-a deecting surface for projecting the combustible mixture downwardly against and outwardly across said burner plate surface. f n

22. In combination, a gas `burner including means for supplying a combustible mixture, a

burner plate having a heat reflecting surface,

and a. bame element having a curved deecting 

